How to Become Enlightened

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Becoming enlightened can mean different things to different people. In general, most people think of enlightenment as a greater awareness of the world or a higher consciousness. Although becoming enlightened may not be an easy task, you can move a little closer to enlightenment every day. You can become enlightened by being in the present moment, expanding your understanding of life and the world around you, and meditating to expand your awareness.

Stop trying to escape from your life. It’s normal to want to distract yourself from your life and your feelings with activities like drinking or overeating. However, these strategies won’t make you feel better. In fact, they might make you feel worse over time. Instead, start being present in your life so you can change the way you think about it.[1]

Think about the distractions you use to escape. They might include things like shopping, drugs, sex, alcohol, partying, or sleeping too much. Consider if these things are helping or hurting you. Then, decide if you want to make any changes to your habits.

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Practice mindfulness to help you focus on the present. Simply put, being mindful means being rooted in the present moment. To practice mindfulness, shift your thoughts to what’s happening in the here and now, not in the past or future. You can become more mindful by doing the following:[2]

Tip: If you want to become more mindful in your daily life, you can find books, magazines, and websites to help you. Additionally, there are apps with mindfulness help, such as The Mindfulness App, Headspace, and MINDBODY.

Engage your 5 senses to help you engage with your surroundings. Your senses of sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste will help you root yourself in your present environment. Go through each sense and list what you notice around you. Then, think about how that makes you feel.[3]

For example, you might say to yourself, “I see pale gray paint and mustard-colored curtains, as well as abstract art prints with black, gray, yellow, white, and red paint. I hear crickets outside the window and the faint hum of an air conditioner. I smell fresh baked cookies, and I can almost taste them on my tongue. Also, I feel cool from the fan.”

Set aside time each day to take pleasure in the moment. You likely live a busy life, so it’s helpful to designate time for yourself. As little as 15-30 minutes is all you need to have a nice experience every day. Use this time to do something that reminds you why you enjoy living your life, such as listening to a favorite record, playing with your pet, or enjoying a special treat.[4]

For example, you might set aside 30 minutes after dinner for a pleasurable activity.

Let your thoughts pass without judgement instead of fighting them. Thoughts can be a great source of distress, especially if you hold onto them. Overthinking will prevent you from finding wisdom and mental peace. However, fighting your thoughts won’t make them go away. Instead, acknowledge what you think and feel, then let it pass.[5]

For example, let’s say you’re worried that you won’t do a good job in an upcoming presentation. Instead of dwelling on that thought and letting it upset you, acknowledge how you feel. Say to yourself, “It makes sense that I’m nervous because this is important to me.” Then, try to let the thought go.

Express your gratitude for what you have in your life every day. Practicing gratitude will help you combat negative emotions, like envy and jealousy, that can block your path to enlightenment. Instead of focusing on what you lack, acknowledge what you have in your life. Think about the people you know, the talents you possess, and the opportunities you’ve been given, as well as your possessions.[6]

For example, you might list three things you’re grateful for every morning. You might say, “I’m grateful for a warm breakfast, a cat who loves me, and comfortable bed.”

Tip: Listing things you’re grateful for is a great way to remember all of the blessings in your life. You could write your list on paper, speak it aloud, or record it in your phone. To keep track of your gratitude lists, try keeping a gratitude journal!

Instead of judging people, you can “assess” them. For example, you might notice that a particular coworker is often late in meeting deadlines. It’s okay to recognize this habit and adjust your expectations when working with them. However, you don’t need to judge them by making assumptions about why they are late or thinking badly about them.

Act according to your beliefs and values. To figure out what’s important to you, do a self-inventory. List your goals, core beliefs, and what you want in life. Additionally, think about what you think is most important in life, such as how you want to live and how you think people should be treated. Then, make choices that reflect what’s important to you.[8]

For example, you might believe experiences are more important than things, people deserve respect, and animals aren’t meant to be used by humans. To reflect these ideals, you might spend any extra money you make on travels, volunteer or donate to help others, treat others as you would like to be treated, and become a vegetarian.

Tip: When you catch a negative thought, like “I can’t do this,” pause and question the thought. Say, “Why do I believe this?” Then, replace that thought with something positive, such as, “If I keep practicing, I’ll improve.”

Keep an open mind when learning about the world and other people. It’s really easy to get trapped in a narrow perspective of the world, but this can block you from becoming enlightened. Every person is filtering the world through their own mind, so each person’s experience of the world and how it works is a little different. In some ways, this means that truth is relative. The only way you can really understand things is to open your mind to how others see the world.[9]

For example, approach cultures and religions outside your own with a goal of learning and understanding, not judging. Similarly, don’t assume everyone has had the same experiences as you have. Be open to learning more about how others live and why.

You can be more open minded by reading more and venturing outside your comfort zone.

Find the lesson in your mistakes. Every person makes mistakes, but there can be value in your slip-ups. Instead of being down on yourself, think about how that mistake can help you grow and progress toward enlightenment. Additionally, look for ways you can avoid making that mistake again in the future.[10]

You have to make mistakes in life in order to learn the lessons you need in order to become the person you’re meant to be. Sometimes experience is the best teacher.

Ask yourself questions like, “What can I learn from this?” “How has this changed me?” or “What can I do differently next time?”

Read what others have written about enlightenment. You may not be able to become enlightened purely by reading the words of others, but learning what others think can help you understand more about your own thoughts. Read books written by great philosophers and teachers, especially those you believe have reached enlightenment.[11]

Commit to mediating at least 10 minutes every day. While meditation can help you gain enlightenment, you’ll need to do it on a regular basis. Luckily, you don’t need any special tools or massive amounts of time to mediate. You can sit or walk in meditation wherever you are. Just focus on your breath.[12]

Initially, set a goal of doing 5-10 minutes of meditation a day. Over time, you can expand the length of your meditations if you desire.

Do a sitting meditation to calm your mind. Sit in a calm, quiet environment with your legs crossed or in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and notice how your body feels. Then, focus on the sensation of your breath. When your mind wanders, return your thoughts to your breath as soon as you notice.[13]

Don’t judge yourself for letting your mind wander, as it’s a normal part of meditation.

Tip: If you’re struggling to stay focused on your breath, try counting each inhale or exhale.

Do a walking meditation to encourage greater awareness. A walking meditation changes the way you think. You can either wander or walk in an established path. As you walk, thoughts will come into your mind. Let them pass without judgement or holding onto them. This allows enlightened thoughts to enter your mind and raise your awareness.[14]

Don’t try to think about anything in particular. Just let your thoughts come and go.

You might also focus on your breath or on your footsteps to help you calm your mind, if it’s racing.

Look for guided meditations online or through free apps. You may prefer a guided meditation, depending on your experience level and goals. Fortunately, you can find many options online or through the app store. Experiment with different meditations until you find one that works for you.

For example, Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer are all meditation apps that offer a free version.

Join a meditation class or center if you want to work with a teacher. Although you can meditate on your own at home, you may prefer to work with a teacher. You can find one by searching for classes in your area or looking for a local meditation center. As another option, you might go to your local buddhist temple or community center.

You may be able to take classes online.

Additionally, check sites like Meetup.com or Facebook.com for meditation groups that meet in your area.

Keep reading different things and religions and ideologies until one clicks. They're all trying to get the same message across, it just takes some patience to find the one translation that finally makes you go "a-ha!"

Be patient. Intentionally focus on the distraction, and it, too, will pass. Then bring your focus back to where you want it to be. Or, make a note of the distraction and promise yourself to come back to it after you have focussed on the thing you want to. Experiment. You will find the best way for yourself.

Do I have to give up all your desires to become enlightened, including things I love?

Community Answer

No. Depending on who you ask, 'following your bliss' is a great pathway to awakening your consciousness. Trust yourself and learn from those around you. For instance, some may say a more aesthetic path of seeking truth or nirvana is most effective. Nevertheless, your best path depends on what you, personally, find to be helpful in your own physical, mental and spiritual journey.

About This Article

Co-Authored By:

wikiHow Staff Editor

This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Together, they cited information from 14 references. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article meets our high standards.

Reader Success Stories

DC

Dixie Conley

Aug 19, 2016

"This is the first guide to enlightenment that I have found that speaks knowledgeably about what enlightenment is and gives useful concrete tips about what should be done as well as warnings about what to avoid. It was clearly written by someone who knew what they were talking about with the intention of helping others. I would like to have seen a link to the article on integrating the unconscious functions of the body as I couldn't find one myself."..." more

LC

Louise Courtemanche

Mar 26, 2017

"I want to learn more about making something unconscious conscious and about the 8 noble path. I enjoyed learning about taking pleasure in all activities. I'm looking for opportunity to serve. I'm grateful for this wonderful teaching. Thank you. "..." more

Rated this article:

PS

Padmanaban Sundhareshwaran

Apr 27, 2016

"From this article I understand no guru is required in order to achieve consciousness. The methods or steps you have listed are not hard, but with self-discipline are easy to follow. I will practice and will share my experience."..." more

MM

Marty MacDougal

May 18, 2018

"This was really interesting as an atheist myself. Before I thought that there was no such thing as enlightenment, but after reading this I think I might as well try it! Hopefully I become enlightened! Wish me luck."..." more

Rated this article:

ST

Sonam Tsering

Oct 14, 2017

"An extremely helpful introduction, everything it says is true. It makes it look easy but I did not find it so. Ultimate compassion for others is the most important route. Banish all negative thoughts from mind. "..." more

SK

Shima Kuriakose

Jan 25, 2017

"Yeah, it's really helpful. I feel optimistic after reading the article. I think even reading this article improves my enlightenment and positive energy. Thanks."..." more

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Pauly

Apr 4, 2016

"Taught me how important it is to exercise conscious meditation using our full senses, especially smell, even in a moment of time."..." more

MM

Monika Mast

May 18, 2016

"Actually, I meditate everyday. Needed to be more aware and deep. But I am just a beginner, reading your information helped."..." more

BJ

Bhaskar Jogi

Aug 17, 2017

"I'm just learning. The result could come through practice. These articles are very interesting to my mindset. "

Rated this article:

AS

Amit Sharma

Sep 3, 2016

"It is nicely written and expressed. Might be helpful to the guys searching for ways to meditation. "

JH

Jay Hendrix

Jun 21, 2017

"So very well put. Thank you. It took me 45 years to become fearless and realize true freedom."

SG

Shalini Goyal

Aug 30, 2016

"I am eager to be enlightened, and the exact meaning of enlightenment I got to know from you."

DM

Diego Martinez

May 24, 2017

"It gave me a simple and direct way to awaken myself. Thanks for your help!"